THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

Aggies, Re-hashed & Warmed Over.

 Larry Carlson stirs the pot with three favorite seasonal Texas A & M memories. “Shock the Nation” is one of Texas vs Aggie trilogies that he captures for the TLSN historical site.

Visit this link for the 1974 Texas-A & M game https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/1974-aggie-game-by-larry-carlson

Visit this link for the 1990 Texas-A & M game https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/1990-aggies-by-larry-carlson

RUN, RICKY, RUN 

1998

Austin, November 27

     It was a new twist for this fan's gameday rituals.  Sure, breakfast tacos, like sunshine, are constants in San Antonio.  But this was my first time to slam chorizo & egg tacos as a pre-game meal.

     My buddy, Kickirillo, and I had met at a reliable hole-in-the-wall to order at 6:30 a.m. so we could get on the road to Austin quickly.  Kickoff was set for the unseemly hour of ten o'clock.

      By 8:30 we were wading through the tailgaters near Scholz's and there weren't many people grilling.  Just a lot of sleepy folks, some hung over, unwrapping more breakfast tacos from white bags with grease stains.  I wondered what Ricky Williams had consumed to get ready for a day set aside for him to presumably become college football's all-time leading rusher.  Perhaps a steak, accompanied by a basic bacon, egg and cheese taco. Maybe Ricky, being from San Diego, had a dollop of sour cream on it.  Fine by me.

      The mid-morning weather felt more like late April than late November, as a record crowd poured into grey, old Memorial Stadium.  Temp in the mid-60s, humid.  The Aggies, ranked sixth in America, had already punched their ticket to the Big XII title game coming up.  But the Horns had a superlative dread-head and a fresh-faced redshirt freshman quarterback, nicknamed Opie.  They had come on strong after September when the Steers lost two of their first three games.  Due to an injury to his starting QB, first-year coach Mack Brown had discovered that young Major Applewhite of Baton Rouge had command of the offense and a knack for feathering passes right where they needed to be.  Texas, paced by Ricky Williams' enormous gifts and aided and abetted by Applewhite and a salty defense, had reeled off six straight wins before stumbling in a wild Lubbock shootout to fall from SWC contention and the rankings.  

      But it was Thanksgiving week now.  And this was gonna be a special Friday edition of the region's most fabled intra-state rivalry.  Brent Musburger was in standard revved up mode and eager to spread the hype on the ABC telecast.  Distinguished sideline guests included Tony Dorsett, there to see if he would have to pass along his 22-year-old NCAA rushing record to another guy who just might cradle a Heisman Trophy sometime soon.  But a stout A&M defense spearheaded by a highly skilled linebacker named Dat Nguyen was steeled and prepared to stop Ricky and the Longhorns.

      Not many this morning were going to show up fashionably late.  Nobody wanted to miss number 34's run at the record.  In spite of the Aggies keying on Williams, the Horns drove to inside the A&M ten on their third possession.   But the defense held and Texas settled for a short Kris Stockton field goal with just under five minutes left in the first period.  Moments later, needing eleven yards for the record, Ricky broke two tackles and sped hard for the southeast corner's flag, taking Dorsett's monumental record along the way.  One cutback and a last block from WR Wane McGarity ensured that Williams would complete the 60-yard sprint by tumbling into the end zone for a touchdown.

      Run the replay now and hear Musburger's excited call:  "Ricky Williams runs... to the Hall of Fame...cuts back...touchdown, Texas!  He does it in dramatic fashion...and a standing ovation...for the king of the rushers."  Both Ricky and Brent were out of breath.

      Ebullient teammates and Texas fans boomed approval for certainly the most momentous first quarter play in the history of the venerable home of the Horns.  The Aggies pawed at the artificial turf, waiting out the celebration and pondering a 10-0 first quarter deficit.  

      The second and third quarters melted away quickly, it seemed.  Texas and Ricky kept piling up yardage while the Aggies were stifled by Texas defenders Ervis Hill, Dusty Renfro, Shaun Rogers, Casey Hampton, Cedric Woodard and friends.

.   But turnovers and red zone mistakes kept the score down.  The Horns led 16-7 at halftime. Stockton, after having hit three field goals, missed two attempts within his range during a scoreless third quarter.  

      When Texas drove 77 yards and cashed in on a ten-yard TD pass from Applewhite to Kwame Cavil with under ten minutes left in the game, Horns fans exhaled, up 23-7.

       Easy breathing didn't last long.  A&M quickly chipped away with a field goal.  Then Texas fumbled and the Ags had to go just 16 yards to score.  Suddenly, in 90 seconds of clock time, UT's lead had shrunk from 16 to six.  More than half of the fourth quarter remained.

       Let's go, Horns.  Put this thing away.  Nope.  It was three-and-out, one that erased several minutes.  Okay, no mistakes.  A&M hadn't really moved the ball all day.  

       Twilight zone time.  Big punt return by the Ags. They're on the Texas 24 to start now.  As they crept inside the ten, I actually could no longer watch.  I hung my head like a punished five-year-old and told Kick that I couldn't take it. I didn't see the touchdown or the extra point but heard 'em.  The scoreboard showed that Texas now trailed for the first time, 24-23.  Kick told me to shake it off, that Texas was still gonna win.

       My head was swimming. I knew that Ricky had over 225 yards.  Applewhite seemed to have passed for that much.  The Aggies had done almost nothing but hang around. but now they had the lead.  (Note:  A&M finished with minus seven yards on the ground in 25 attempts)  

      It was do-or-die time.  Death or glory, so to speak.  The must-have drive began at UT's 23 with 2:20 left.

It took 58 seconds to get 14 yards and a first down.  Damn.

      But Applewhite looked cool, as he had all season.  "The Major," as cornball Brent Musburger referred to him, looked in charge.  The Aggies were waiting for Ricky.  But Major kept hitting short passes.

To Kwame twice.  To Ricky once.  To McGarity.  To Bryan White twice.  To Derek Lewis. 

       The suspense was exhausting.  But nickels and dimes had begun to add up.  Ricky finally got a carry, good for seven yards, out of bounds at the Aggie seven.  Nine seconds left.  Stockton trotted on and more than 83,000 fans were roaring.  I had emerged from the fetal position but was more than concerned than excited.  Stockton had missed his last two.  Was he spooked?  I knew I was.  Please, Lord....

        Snap good.  Hold down.  And with medical precision  (hey, Dr. Kris Stockton is now an orthopedic surgeon), the Longhorn kicker put it straight down the middle.  Happy, happy, joy, joy!  The sweetest field goal I had ever seen in all these years. 

       Naturally, I was still sweating the kickoff and the one play A&M had time for.  In Aggie fashion, it was a short, sideline pass that fell harmlessly incomplete. At last, the gun sounded.

       Longhorn fans mobbed Ricky, who had run for 259 yards and the record.  Opie had passed for 232 and a TD.  Stockton had 14 points.  Let A&M head for the conference title game.  This win was on the books now, and the scoreboard blared the latest victory to be etched into history:  TEXAS 26   Texas A&M 24.

An hour later, the refreshments at Baby Acapulco were going down easily.  And the game highlights on the overhead TV screens got better and better as the afternoon passed.  Another round of Horns over Aggies.

It always tastes good.  

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